University-cast ballots are valid: Elections Canada

OTTAWA — The ballots cast at a special University of Guelph voting station are valid and will be counted, Elections Canada said Friday, in response to the Conservative party’s attempt to have the votes nullified.

The Conservative party on Thursday asked Elections Canada to void the approximately 700 votes cast during a one-day special ballot at the

Ontario university earlier this week, saying the polling station was illegal and unauthorized.

They also claimed there was partisan material close to the ballot box and that their scrutineers were not granted permission to observe the voting. Both actions are in breach the Canada Elections Act.

And while the chief electoral officer did not pre-authorize the special ballot station, Elections Canada said in a statement Friday that the ballots are legitimate and can still be counted in the May 2 election.

“All information at our disposal indicates that the votes were cast in a manner that respects the Canada Elections Act and are valid,” the independent agency said.

“In light of the focus on youth and student electoral participation at the 41st general election … a well-intentioned returning officer undertook a special initiative to create an opportunity at the University of Guelph to vote by special ballot.”

Facing criticism over the ballot-rejection attempt, the Conservatives said they were not trying to discourage youth from voting.

“In terms of the details of that specific case, our concern is simply that the rules for advanced — and the rules of the election — be observed,” Mr. Harper said during a campaign stop in Thornhill, Ont. “That is our concern in this particular matter.”

The Conservatives lost the Guelph riding to the Liberals in 2008, falling short by nearly 1,800 votes.

The party also appeared satisfied with Elections Canada’s call to allow the votes to stand.

“We applaud the decision not to disenfranchise University of Guelph students because of errors by the local Returning Officer,” Guy Giorno, the national Tory campaign chairman, said in a nine-part series of tweets.

“At the same time, we are pleased that the rules for special balloting have been clarified and reconfirmed. The same rules should apply everywhere and be applied consistently across the country.”

The Guelph Mercury had reported Friday that a communications adviser for Marty Burke, the Conservative candidate in the riding, tried to grab the ballot box.

The Conservatives deny this, saying instead the party’s legal counsel contacted Elections Canada to voice concern about their scrutineers not being permitted to observe the voting. The party also said they were told the voting station was not sanctioned and, as a result, the approximately 700 votes cast at the station should be voided.

“We want all Canadians to vote in this campaign. That’s why we’re criss-crossing the country,” Mr. Harper said. “I am concerned, we are all concerned, about the gradual fall we’re seeing in voting rates.”

While some details of what happened at the university are still murky, an NDP spokeswoman said the party wants to see an investigation launched.

“These are serious allegations,” said Kathleen Monk.

Both Ms. Monk and Tory staff pointed to an event in 2006, when the Liberals successfully quashed a special voting booth at the University of Toronto.